The rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a small tropical fruit of the soapberry family, native to Southeast Asia and instantly recognised by the soft, curling hair-like spines that cover its red or yellow rind — "rambut" is Malay for hair. The leathery, spiny shell peels away to reveal a translucent, glistening white flesh wrapped around a single seed: sweet, gently floral and grapey, with low acidity and a milder, less heady perfume than its close cousin the lychee. It is eaten fresh out of hand, canned in syrup (often stuffed with pineapple), and made into jams and juices across the tropics.